


Complicated Creatures

by GenuineSnoof



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Erik's bad past, Established Relationship, M/M, Poor Charles, Poor Erik, Protective Erik, mutants in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 21:16:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10839606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenuineSnoof/pseuds/GenuineSnoof
Summary: Charles is curled up in bed after having been caught in the cold rain.





	Complicated Creatures

Charles was curled up so tightly under the covers and extra blankets that it looked like someone had stuffed a pillow under them. 

Erik very carefully peeled the top layer off to reveal towsled hair and Charles hands he was in sleep pressing against his face. Gently, Erk brushed the back of his curled up fingers over what little he could see of Charles' cheek. Charles' frown tightened fractionally, but he didn't wake.

His skin was slightly flushed, warm to the touch. A strong sense of 'COLD' was lingering in the room like a smell; it was what had propelled Erik to hurry to the bed upon entering in the first place. He knew how to recognise Charles' projections by now. 

It was a chilly day out, rain and sleet covering every surface outside with a fine grayish sheen, but inside the bedroom it was cosy warm and Charles was covered with no less than three blankets and, as Erik found upon further inspection, a huge bath towel.

Under that, though, his probing fingers told him, Charles was naked.

Charles shifted a bit, as Erik brushed his warm hands against his chest and side, unfurling slightly.

Erik moved his hand to stroke Charles' hair and Charles followed the movement with his face, nudging Erik's palm with his nose.

Erik looked down at him - the frown that was there even in sleep, the curve of his prominent collar bone, his slightly parted lips – and felt a rush of protectiveness so severe it made him wonder if it'd be easier to just strangle Charles right there to escape it. 

He knew very well that Charles wasn't vulnerable or weak or fragile; quite the opposite in fact. Charles was so powerful it scared Erik at times and so arrogant and dead certain of his way of doing things it often made Erik want to lean on HIM, to follow HIS decisions and let him show him a way out of the rage and hate that had grown inside him for so long. Charles had once – led him away from all that, from the hate, the coldness of it – and it had made Erik's life infinitely better. 

No, Charles wasn't weak. He'd most likely just been caught in the rain and crawled under the covers like a soaked cat, exhausted and miserable and somehow he still FELT cold in his sleep even though he was developing a bit of a fever by now.

But seeing him curled so tightly, head following Erik's touch as he petted him, was enough to raise dark memories in Erik; feverish faces on gray matresses, pleading eyes, sad, hopeless; the shrieking men were capable of when driven out of their minds by pain. Wide-eyed, open faces with contorted features, people all but robbed of anything that made them THEM or a person at all. 

Powerful men, young, beloved, who had once been looked up at by their children, who had been sources of comfort and security, now lying in the dirt, crying, no more than beaten animals, begging in garbled, inhuman voices – non-entities.

"Erik."

Startled, Erik looked down.

Charles was holding Erik's hand against his face, brushing the back of it with his thumb.

Erik knew he had woken him with his thoughts. He tried to smile but couldn't and moved his hand to stroke through Charles' hair.

"Did you get wet?" he asked. His voice wasn't completely steady.

Charles sighed und uncurled, lifting the blanket. "C'mere," he said.

Erik slid off his shoes and crawled under the cover; following Charles' suggestion. He'd always follow Charles. 

Charles wrapped one arm around him, burying close against him and pecked the underline of his jaw. 

"You saw," Erik said.

Charles nodded and moved his head so his forehead rested against Erik's temple.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh you," Charles muttered, brushing Erik's cheek with the tip of his nose. "Can I help?"

"It's no-"

"I meant will you let me help," Charles cut him off. "I want to, but I know you don't always want it."

Erik pressed a quick kiss to Charles' lips and shook his head. "What would you even do? Turn my memories into something different? Make me feel less scared of them?"

Charles lifted his head to better look at Erik and smiled. "I dunno. I could maybe make you think about how next time you'll find me naked in bed, you just make sure I get really, really warm."

Erik snorfled. "I didn't want to wake you."

"You sex-crazed beast, you," Charles said drily.

"You have a fever." Erik pressed the back of his hand against Charles' forehead as if for proof.

"Erik."

"And a headache."

Charles moved his head away, pouting. "I got caught in the rain, took a hot shower, curled up in bed and fell asleep. I didn't do anything that warrants that tone."

"For once," Erik said and kissed him. "Can I just hold you a while?"

Charles' expression softened and he rolled over until Erik could comfortably wrap both arms around him. "You can always hold me."

"Sometimes you don't let me."

"You know," Charles said, "I meant that just now. I didn't do anything. You sound like you're mad at me for being asleep when I'm asleep."

Erik frowned, hugging Charles tighter. "I'm not mad at you."

"Sad then. Which is as bad." Charles looked up, searching for Erik's gaze. "I love you and I need you, but I don't need you to protect me from ever being caught in the rain."

"I wasn't thinking that."

"Okay. So we agree we're cuddling, because you had a bad moment just now and need the comfort."

"Now who's mad?" Erik asked. He shifted his head so his eyes were at Charles' level. "I've seen you in pain just like ... that. If I feel protective of you it's not completely without cause."

"Same here. I can't stand the way you looked earlier. It makes me want to kill people."

Erik snorted a little, touching his forehead against Charles'. "I just thought you looked cold. And that you're getting sick. Why are we here now?"

'Because we're so fucking complicated we should never say anything,' Charles thought, not AT Erik but his sleepiness made Erik hear it, anyway.

"I'm sorry," Charles said out loud. "I love you. I don't know what to say, I want you to feel safe, always."

Erik moved his head, looked at him for a quiet moment, then leaned in for a gentle, deep kiss. "I just want you," he said.

Charles smiled and places his hands against Erik's chest. "That'll be easy to arrange. Take your socks off first, though."

Erik laughed. "You have a fever."

"So I won't last long."

Erik rolled over, so he could look down at Charles, who'd started working on the zipper of Erik's jeans. 

Charles tilted his head, offering his neck. "Don't say anything profound, darling. Just ravish me like it's going out of style."

"I was gonna say roll over, baby."

"Ah," Charles said and complied. "Certainly, love." 

THE END


End file.
